Archive for May, 2009

Does anyone else feel like this “short” work week went on FOREVER??? I sure did!

Last night was a no excercise/ate really bad night for me. We had spaghetti (white pasta! yuck!) with meat sauce, breadsticks, and Coldstone Ice Cream Cake (Mint Oreo). I didn’t take any pictures due to my family already thinks I’m a little weird since I take so many non-food pictures! I ate way more than I should have, and I know it was all emotional eating since I had a terrible day! (Stress at work, came home to a throwing up dog, really crappy weather, etc.) I need to get over my guilt and move on. I do feel a little better today knowing that I packed a healthy supply of food for the day and the weather is nice.

Snack: Yet another Fiber One Oats and Apple Streusel Bar and some watermelon with a big jug o’water!

Going for a run tonight (but I have to go home first….someone forgot to pack a sports bra this morning!). I am doing a 5K a week from tomorrow, so I want to try a 5K distance tonight. I know I can run at least 2 miles, so I may run/walk the last 1.1, but I want to try!

I felt all day yesterday like I was running behind. I stopped at the gym on my way home, but felt guilty that I wasn’t home getting supper ready since the hubby was already home. So, I only did 15 minutes on the eliptical before I called it quits and headed home. I made Taco Bake for supper. It was good, especially since I had it with 1/4 of an avacado, chopped tomatoes, and some yummy strawberries!

Today we are having our monthly “goody day” at work. I made Brownie Crinkle Cookies, and may have tested a couple as they came out of the oven. (I had to make sure they were for the folks at work!)

Lunch today was a toss up between leftovers from last night or some of the yummy Mexican food that was brought in for goody day…I went with the best of both worlds:

A little veggie and fruit plate from the party

With my leftovers doctored up with more fresh vegies and a little salsa! I also had a few blue corn tortilla chips on the side for crunch.

Snack was another one of those delicious Oats and Apple Streusel Fiber One Bars. Can’t get enough!

Tonight will be a challenge. It is my baby sister’s 17th birthday, so we are having pasta with meat sauce, breadsticks, and caesar salad from Fazoli’s and a Coldstone ice cream cake. Eeek! I guess everything in moderation…..right?

How do you overcome challenging family get togethers where there is a lot of unhealthy food? I usually try to bring something like fruit, but there will be no time tonight! I get out of work at 5, have a 35 minute drive home, have to let the puppies out and then be at my parents’ house by 6! Busy, busy, busy!!

I stopped on my way home from work tonight to go for a little run. My drive home follows the rail-trail, so there are several opportunities to stop. My new favorite spot is about halfway home, and has a great two mile out and back stretch. Last night was my first time doing 2 miles with no walking in about 2 weeks since I have been fighting off a nasty upper respiratory infection. I was aiming for 10 minute miles, but I didn’t quite make it.

I got home after my run and dinner was almost ready. Chicken breasts, salsa and taco seasoning….so easy, so good! Hubby had soft shell tacos, and I made a yummy salad.

Spinach

Shredded Chicken

Tomatoes

Fat Free Shredded Cheese

Salsa

1/4 of an Avacado

So good! I also had a bowl of watermelon and a handful of Kashi Honey Sesame crackers.

I may have had a small cup of triple peanut butter ice cream later…oops.

Breakfast today was my normal oatmeal.

1/2 cup oats

1 cup water

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Snack for the morning was a banana. Does anyone else cut up their banana into little slices so they eat slower?

Lunch was leftovers from last night, repurposed:

LaTortilla Factory Low Carb Wrap

Spinach

Chicken Breast

Black Beans

Tomatoes

Salsa

I also had watermelon and 1/2 of a green pepper.

Snack was a Fiber One Oats and Apple Streusel bar (SO GOOD!).

Hoping the rain will let up so that I can get a run in this afternoon!

I have always been “chubby”. In high school I was a varsity cheerleader for 4 years and I always had the biggest uniform….the one that they bought in case a fat girl tried out for the squad. I don’t know what I weighed then, but I wore a size 11/13. At 5’8”, I didn’t look “that big, but I had the big boobs, and I gain all my weight in my chest and my belly.

After going to college and living on dorm food for three years, my weight increased even more as my activity level decreased a lot. I lived in jeans and baggy hoodies. I remember the summer before I graduated, going out with my then boyfriend and wearing denim shorts and a ratty American Eagle sweatshirt when it was 85 degrees out because I didn’t feel comfortable in anything else.

The summer of 2006 which was right after I graduated, lots of exciting things happened. I got engaged a week after I graduated and my mom, 2 sisters and I headed off for a week in Maui the end of June. I had to buy all new summer clothes to wear in Maui since none of my clothes fit me from the summer before.

That fall, we got our engagement pictures done and I only had one pair of jeans that would fit, and I had to suck in during all the pictures so my belly wouldn’t stick out. After looking at the pictures, I realized how chubby my face looked.

Our wedding was planned for September of 2007. I worked all fall and into winter planning it, and then I became unemployed I sat home all day everyday from January to April with nothing to do but eat and play on the internet planning our wedding. I remember one day in early January of 2007 I decided to try on my wedding dress (which I had purchased the previous August) and I couldn’t get it to zip more than half way. That was about the time my mom suggested we join Weight Watchers together. (She has always struggled with her weight, too.) When I joined, I was scared to get on the scale. I weighed in at 205.6 pounds.

Over the next eight months, I counted points and my efforts were rewarded. I had wanted to lose 35 pounds before our wedding. Two days before the big day, I weighed in at 170.8…..34.8 pounds lighter than when I had started. But I was disappointed. I was a measly 0.2 pounds away from my mini goal (my actual goal is 155 pounds). I thought about how I could have done things differently in that week before weigh in, I couldn’t be happy with my success.

After that, I let it all go. I pigged out at the rehearsal dinner, at the wedding, and of course, on our honeymoon. Slowly, I gained .6 pounds here, 1 pound there. But we were still going to Weight Watchers so I thought it would be okay. I might gain 1 pound and then the next week lose .6 and think I was making progress, but I was slowly sliding backwards.

In the spring of 2008, I decided I wanted to start running. This was the first time I had done physical activity (besides a leisurely walk) since beginning Weight Watchers. I followed the Couch to 5K running program and ran 2 5K races that spring/summer. Then it got hot and I didn’t like being uncomfortable when I ran. So I stopped. Fast forward to January of this year. I decided to join a local gym since I was still gaining weight and wasn’t exercising.

I joined the gym and began running again. My dreams of someday running a marathon returned, but the weight gain kept coming. I would justify running two miles with eating dessert every night after dinner.

Currently, I am at 186 pounds and I hate my self for it. I have started a 10K training plan in hopes of running a 5.7 mile trail race on Mackinac Island this October. I would love to be at my wedding weight my anniversary on September 7th. I am still paying for and going to Weight Watchers, but have decided to make a huge effort at eating more natural foods and listening to my body. I don’t think the scale accurately depicts how healthy we are. I am heavier now than I was 2 years ago, but I also know my fitness/endurance level has increased. My clothes are tighter though, so I know I have not just been gaining 16 pounds of muscle (I wish!).

So here I am, hopefully documenting this journey will keep me more accountable. I have gathered so much inspiration from reading other women’s fitness/weight loss/running blogs, and I hope to someday be an inspiration for someone else. If you have any questions, please leave me a comment!!!

I'm Becci, a twenty something from a small farming community in Michigan. I grew up on a farm and still live on one...I can't imagine it any other way! Although, I do love to travel and see the amazing places the world has to offer! I have always struggled with my weight and living a healthy lifestyle, but that's about to change! This is my journey to eating healthy, traveling, and hopefully accomplishing my goal of running a marathon all while enjoying the country life!